Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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305. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a complete list of CTC’s in operation during 2012/2013; and his plans to integrate these into ETB’s. [23342/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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On the 1st January 2014 a number of former FÁS Training Centres were transferred to appropriate Education and Training Boards. As part of this process, responsibility for funding and contracting with Community Training Centres (CTCs) attached to those Training Centres was also transferred to the relevant Education and Training Board. It is expected that the remaining former FÁS Traiing Centres will transfer to the Education and Training Boards on 1 July 2014. The responsibility for the remaining Community Training Centres will be transferred to the appropriate Education and Training Boards on 1st July, 2014. The funding and contractual relationship with the CTCs attached to those centres will also transfer on that date.

The list of CTC's in operation in 2012/2013 and their transfer date to an Education and Training Board is set out in the following table.

List of CTC’s in operation during 2012/2013 and date of transfer to ETB

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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306. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that SIPTU has tried to engage with IACTO, SOLAS and his Department on the issue of CTCs; and that his Department have refused to meet on the issue; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that IACTO are not disseminating the information. [23343/14]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Through a series of decisions the Government decided to replace 33 vocational education committees (VECs) with 16 new entities, to be known as education and training boards (ETBs), and to establish SOLAS to replace FÁS.

The proposals in relation to SOLAS, as agreed by the Government, envisage a key role for the ETBs in relation to the future delivery of further education and training in an integrated manner. Significant developments have already taken place with the establishment of ETBs on 1 July 2013, and the establishment of SOLAS on 27 October 2013. Seven SOLAS training centres and their staff transferred to 4 ETBs on 1 January 2014. Responsibility for the Community Training Centres attached to these training centres also transferred to an appropriate ETB. The second phase of transfer of 12 SOLAS training centres to a further 7 ETBs will take place on 1 July 2014. SOLAS and the ETBs have established a Transfer Implementation Group to ensure that there is a smooth transfer process.

Community Training Centres (CTCs) are independent community-based organisations, each with its own board and governance structure. CTCs are managed locally and funded directly from SOLAS or ETBs. SOLAS has regular meetings with the employer representative body (IACTO) for the 38 independent community boards governing the CTCs and has kept it informed of changes in the Further Education and Training sector.

In particular, this has included information on the transfer of all SOLAS training functions, including responsibilities for CTCs, to ETBs. My Department has no plans at present to alter existing arrangements in relation to CTCs and their work in meeting the training and employment needs of early school leavers, primarily aged between 16 and 21, in the community will continue. The Department recently met with representatives from CTCs to brief them on the Programme of Reform for the sector.

It would be a matter for SOLAS and IACTO to respond to any request from SIPTU in their own right but I am not aware of any approach by SIPTU to meet my Department on the issue. I am aware that SIPTU have referred a matter related to the payment of enhanced redundancy to staff in one CTC which has closed to the Labour Relations Commission. Guidance has been sought by SOLAS on the matter of the payment of enhanced redundancy to CTC staff and staff in other bodies from my Department and the issue is currently being reviewed.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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307. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that CTC workers have agreements in place with IACTO/SOLAS on collective issues such as redundancies and annual leave however they have been informed that his Department will not honour these agreements as was the experience in an organisation (details supplied) in County Cork; if he will commit to ensuring that negotiated agreements are honoured. [23344/14]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Community Training Centres (CTCs) are funded through SOLAS and the Education and Training Boards. They are managed and operated by independent local Boards of Management. The staff are employed by these groups and my Department does not have a direct role in staffing and employment issues relating to these bodies.

Guidance has been sought by SOLAS on the payment of enhanced redundancy to employees of CTCs and the matter is being reviewed in the Department. I understand from the Cork Education and Training Board that the decision to close the Community Training Centre referred to by the Deputy was taken by the CTC Board of Management and that statutory redundancy was paid to the former employees.